Law360 Publishes Akin Gump Article on Congressional Energy Legislation

Law360 has published the article “Compromise In Congress Over Bipartisan Energy Reform,” written by Akin Gump public law and policy partners Hank Terhune, Jamie Tucker and Charlie Johnson; senior policy advisor Ryan Thompson; and associate Christopher Treanor. The article analyzes stand-alone energy legislation that, for the first time since 2007, is advancing in Congress.

The authors write that the Senate’s Energy Policy Modernization Act “contains provisions that promote renewable energy, improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and direct substantial investments toward research and development for new energy technologies. … At the same time, the bill modernizes critical mineral policies, enhances cybersecurity protections for the electrical grid, reforms the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan program, and promotes energy infrastructure initiatives.”

The legislation in the House of Representatives, known as the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, “also contains provisions modernizing energy infrastructure with additional focus on grid reliability and natural gas pipeline and electric power rights of way through federal lands. The House bill does not, however, contain the energy efficiency language or new energy technology investments included in the Senate bill.”

Pres. Obama has not indicated whether he would sign the legislation and, as the article notes, “House and Senate floor consideration of the pending energy legislation may slip until a post-election “lame duck” session, where its prospects are likely to be heavily influenced by the election results.”

To read the full article, please click here.